Alec Lindstrom NFL Draft Scouting Report

Alec Lindstrom should follow his brother to the NFL in April

Background

Alec Lindstrom is a center from Boston College and a prospect in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft. Lindstrom was a three-year starter for the Eagles, and he earned All-ACC honors all three years. Alec followed his older brother, Chris, to Boston College, even though he was only a two-star recruit with very few scholarship offers. He was only 240 pounds when he came to BC, so he redshirted during his first year with the program in 2017.

In 2018, Lindstrom appeared in three games, starting alongside his brother against Holy Cross. He finally broke into the starting lineup in 2019, starting all 13 games and earning All-ACC Third Team Honors. In 2020, he earned All-ACC First Team honors after helping lead BC in its transition from a power run team to a pass-heavy, zone-running team. Lindstrom made All-ACC First Team again in 2021 and earned several All-American honors from various media outlets.

Statistics

Career: 39 GP, 36 GS, 24 pressures allowed (17 hurries, 4 QB hits, 3 sacks).

2021 Stats: 12 GP/GS, 7 pressures allowed (4 hurries, 2 QB hits, 1 sack).

2021 PFF Grades (20% snap minimum; rankings out of 163 eligible OCs): 73.4 Overall (t-34th), 68.4 Run Blocking (66th), 84.6 Pass Blocking (5th).

Measurements

At the East-West Shrine Game, Alec Lindstrom measured in at 6 feet and 3 ¼ inches and 294 pounds. His hands were 9”, his arms were 32 ⅛”, and his wingspan was 77 ⅜”.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Lindstrom measured in at 6 feet and 3 ⅜ inches and 296 pounds. His hands were 9 ¼”, his arms were 32 ⅝”, and his wingspan was 77 ⅜”.

At Boston College’s Pro Day, he measured in at 6 feet and 3 ⅜ inches and 299 pounds. His hands were 9 ⅛”, his arms were 32”, and his wingspan was 77 ⅜”.

Drills

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Alec Lindstrom ran the 40-yard dash in 5.18 seconds with a 1.75 10-yard split. He ran the short shuttle in 4.66 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.50 seconds. In the bench press, Lindstrom put up 25 reps of 225 pounds. He jumped 29 inches in the vertical and 111 inches in the broad jump. These numbers earned Lindstrom a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 8.36/10, ranking 84th out of 511 OCs from 1987 to 2022.

At Boston College’s Pro Day, Lindstrom did not participate in the athletic testing drills and stood on his numbers from the Combine.

Areas of Strength

• Solid athletic ability: quick feet allow him to cover ground quickly and block well on the move; comfortable moving and blocking in space.
• Very good in Zone blocking schemes: excellent at executing Combo blocks, especially as the Seal or Drive blocker when asked to climb to the second level. Great when working as part of a tandem block.
• Can succeed in Man-Gap schemes where he gets help from another lineman in a double team. Also solid at pinning opponents behind pullers; doesn’t have much experience pulling but has the athletic ability and awareness to do so.
• Solid in pass protection: when he gets his hands right, can stymie his opponent quickly; mirrors rushers well, picking up and passing off stunts/twists well. Tenacious battler to maintain engagement and prevent pressure.
• Good mental processing, keeping head on a swivel in pass protection to find late rushers or twisters; tasked with setting protections presnap and communicating with linemen and QB; repeatedly praised by QBs for his smarts and assistance presnap. Always knows who to block and where to go.
• Very good competitive toughness: consistently plays through the whistle; effort lasts through the end of the game, wearing out his opponents; great mental toughness allows him to continue battling through tough matchups and losses.
• Should be a great locker room presence: infectious, endearing personality, combined with a great work ethic and athletic family bloodlines will make him a team and fan favorite.

Areas to Improve

• Below-average play strength, especially in the upper body. He struggles to drive defenders off the ball by himself in Gap schemes and can get bullied/thrown about; frequently shoved back by initial push in pass rush.
• Adequate explosive and pliable athleticism: mediocre flexibility prevents him from getting lower in his base to maintain optimal pad level and leverage. Not particularly explosive out of his stance or when changing direction and frequently loses his balance.
• Needs to improve his hand usage to survive against NFL defenders, especially in pass protection. Frequently does not get his hands up quickly enough and does not consistently place them well to control and steer defender.
• Struggles to sustain blocks, especially when singled up: lack of play strength allows defenders to slough him off and make plays on the ballcarrier.
• Has issues anchoring in pass protection: can survive but NFL defenders might give him more issues with superior strength; struggles to consistently establish a firm base and has to give up lots of ground before finally resetting.
• Needs to improve on some technical nuances in pass protection: would like to see him play on his toes more and be lighten his feet; allows his heels to touch the ground too hard when pass-setting, limiting his ability to move and then drop the anchor. Bends at his back and not his hips, preventing the amount of strength and power he can generate.
• Struggles with some center-specific issues (bad snaps, slow transition from snap to block) but is not positionally versatile; lack of size and strength limit him to teams that primarily use zone-blocking run schemes.

Summary

In the NFL, Alec Lindstrom projects as a backup center in a zone-blocking offense. Lindstrom has an excellent mental makeup, both from a processing and competitive standpoint. He is at his best when executing Combo blocks where he can work in tandem with a guard. He gives consistent effort throughout his assignments and to the end of the game, even when he is struggling. Lindstrom is also a very solid pass blocker, setting the pre-snap assignments and picking up line games. He moves well at the top of the pocket and is able to survive against most rushers. 

Overall, Lindstrom lacks some of the physical tools necessary for succeeding in the NFL. He has issues with flexibility and balance, bending at his back instead of sinking with his hips. This prevents him from maintaining his anchor in pass protection and from getting a significant push in the run game. This ties into his already extant lack of play strength. Lindstrom struggles to sustain his blocks, as his opponents frequently slough him off and make plays on the ballcarrier. 

With that being said, Lindstrom still has the movement skills and ability to block in space that will make him effective in a zone-blocking scheme. Relying on his mental acuity and understanding of schemes/assignments, he should be a serviceable backup that can play in the NFL for a long time. If he is flanked by good guards, he should be an effective if unremarkable NFL player. 

Grade: 6.0 / 10 (scheme-specific long-term back up)

#151 Overall Prospect (#4 OC, #15 IOL, #29 OL), Round 4-5

NFL Comparison: Nick Hardwick, R3 #66, San Diego Chargers (2004 - 2014)